Review of the year - September 09
Our Performance Car of the Year shoot-out in Wales provides a scorching end to summer
Even by our standards, this was a particularly busy month. With three trips to Wales, a photoshoot in Liverpool and a twin test at the launch of the new Skoda Yeti in Scotland, we covered massive distances.
Our annual Performance Car of the Year test at the Anglesey Circuit featured 20 of the best sporting newcomers. Our favourite race track was at our disposal, so all we needed was sunshine – and we got it. The pictures and videos from this three-day marathon made our resulting supplement and online footage a must for any driving enthusiast.
Our own racing driver Owen Mildenhall did timed laps in each PCOTY contender. The winner would be the most entertaining and rewarding car on road and track, and choosing it was surprisingly easy.
One machine stood out as a remarkable achievement. While we all had personal favourites – the Aston Martin V12 Vantage and Porsche 911 GT3 stole our collective hearts – the breathtaking all-round ability of the Audi R8 V10 couldn’t be beaten. Even in foul weather, it could still turn in amazing lap times, thanks to its confidence-inspiring quattro drivetrain and incredible poise.
It wasn’t the fastest around the twisting track, though. That honour went to the Corvette ZR1. The supercharged muscle car was the only model to dip below the one-minute mark.
Used - available now
2026 SEAT
Ateca
32,056 milesManualPetrol1.5L
Cash £15,487
2022 Renault
Clio
16,068 milesAutomaticPetrol1.6L
Cash £14,997
2022 MINI
Countryman
41,853 milesAutomaticPetrol2.0L
Cash £23,192
2023 Peugeot
2008
31,710 milesManualPetrol1.2L
Cash £13,461Click any of the links below to catch up with all the rest of the year's most exciting stories.
December
Verdict
Tester's notes
I joined the road test team midway through 2009 – and one of my first assignments was our annual Performance Car of the Year shoot-out!
Flick through our special supplement (Issue 1,079) or watch our online videos and the glamour of the job is clear– but they only tell half the story. Anglesey Circuit in north Wales is a brilliant venue, yet it’s a long way from our office in London.
Early mornings and late nights are part of the test territory, but despite working long hours we rarely have as much time with the vehicles as we’d like. A normal four-car group test usually takes two days – but at PCOTY we rate 20 vehicles in only three.
Add in Anglesey’s micro-climate, constant car washing, endless manoeuvring for photos plus filming, and you’ll see it isn’t quite as easy as it first appears.
However, we wouldn’t change any of it for the world, and in 2010 we promise to bring you the year’s 20 most exciting cars... all over again.
Graeme Lambert
Road tester
